Casio G'zOne Boulder Review
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User Interface |
The Boulder’s UI is very ho-hum, as we’ve come to expect from Verizon phones. It has some good looking display themes, but they are simply skins for the red-bar interface. The only customization is with the d-pad shortcuts, where the user can assign three out of the four keys. Right is hard-coded to My Shortcuts, which allows the user to assign four quick access items. It prompted us for an update the first time we turned it on, but even still we experienced a few random resets and menu lag at times. The phonebook can hold up to 500 entries with four numbers (two mobile, home and work) and two email addresses per entry. Voice command is handled by VoiceSignal, which is as good as ever.
The Boulder is a full-featured media phone. It supports VCast Video and Music (but not TV) and can hold up to 8GB of music via the microSD port. It is compatible with Verizon’s recently launched Rhapsody service. The video quality is ok on the Boulder’s small screen, but good enough to watch quick clips such as Olympic replays. The phone runs BREW applications, such as VZNavigator and Field Force Manager, and users can download content from Verizon’s deck.
The camera and camcorder were both pretty poor. Images came out muddled with blurred lines. The software is slow, so image capture doesn’t actually happen until a second after the shutter sound, which means most users would be moving the camera when the image is snapped. The camcorder can record at a max of 176x144 and is appropriately pixilated. The only redeeming quality is that the Boulder has a flash, though its more useful as a flashlight.
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Push-to-Talk
Verizon has had PTT for years now, but poor performance and no interoperability with Nextel has led to Verizon all but writing off the technology. Though the coverage may be spotty, Nextel’s PTT simply worked and worked fast. Call setup times were under a second, which VZW (or Sprint, with Ready Link) could never come within spitting distance of.
Sprint recently launched QChat, which brings CDMA PTT over Rev. A and most importantly is interoperable with Nextel. We came away quite impressed with their offering when we reviewed the Sanyo PRO series. Though VZW has ducked questions of how their new PTT service works, it does indeed run over Rev. A and we have to think it is closely related to QChat. Unlike Sprint’s service which only works in Rev. A coverage, VZW allows PTT over any data connection, even 1x. When PTT coverage is available, the signal indicator switches from white on black to black on white.
When in EVDO coverage (the phone doesn’t differentiate from Rev. A and Rev. 0) the service generally works well enough. Call setup times are usually under a second, but we did notice delays up to 5s at times which we never experienced with Sprint’s service. Once the call was connected communication was lightning fast. On 1x, however, the service was as terrible as always. We experienced call setup times of up to 30s, as well as outright failures. After setup there was a noticeable delay in communication, and more than one time we were connected but got no audio on either phone. At its worst there were 15s delays in communication after setup.
Furthermore, we have four review units (two Boulders, two Adventures) and are testing in a blanketed Rev. A location. At times any of the four phones may drop to 1x or no PTT coverage while some or all of the others remain in EVDO or PTT coverage. There has been no discernable pattern with this in either the phone models or individual units. We have even been in EVDO coverage but not had PTT available for one reason or another. Sprint’s coverage may be somewhat limited due to their Rev. A requirement, but it makes for a better and more stable product for the end user.
VZW maintains a separate PTT contact list from the regular phone book, which allows them to show presence indicators so you know if your contact is available or not. If a PTT number is stored in the regular phonebook you can still contact them via PTT, but there is no indication that they are PTT capable like on Sprint phones. The PTT button is awkward on the Boulder; instead of the traditional large button on the middle left side it is near the top and very small.
Overall we feel that it’s time for VZW to give up PTT. The new service works better than the original, but only when you are in Rev. A coverage and even then it is still not as good as iDEN or Direct Connect on Sprint. What ultimately dooms the service is its inability to talk with Nextel phones. Individual Nextel subscribers may be leaving in droves, but its PTT service it is still an industry standard and there are too many businesses that rely on Direct Connect as their primary means of communication. The bottom line is that VZW simply offers an inferior product.
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Verizon Wireless G'zOne Boulder
- Specifications
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- Review 5.5/10
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25 Comments
1. (unregistered) posted on 20 Oct 2010, 01:55 0 0
thanks! although it doesnt look as a good phone being so rugged is so coool!
19. (unregistered) posted on 07 Oct 2008, 21:04 0 0
yeah rugged is cool your right..but would you rather have a phone you need to charge everyday maybe even several times during that same day or one that isnt water proof but holds batterylife more than 2.5 hours talk time.and if you want to use the compass or stop watch forget about making calls for the rest of the day.like everyone else i was attracted to all the features of this phone.which actually suck and make me doubt the claims...i took this thing out in driving rain..just because i could...three days later i was at verizon getting a replacement because the previous one had gone awry..similar to other phones not water proof i had dropped in some sort of moisture. non speaker phone calls are bascially unreadable and speaker phone is rather ineffective unless you cup your hand around the speaker to help reverberate the sound. PTT is comparable to nextell even tho ive never had the service myself i know many people who have, and from what i can hear it is similar.in conclusion i give this phone a 3 out of 10, if youd rather sacrafice every aspect of a phone being considered good for the lame fact its water proof, if not find yourself a different phone..i know i am
2. (unregistered) posted on 22 Aug 2008, 15:56 0 0
exept vzw's evdo/rev A service is many times larger than nextels total coverage, where even in flat florida (where revA is 100% of coverage), nextell still has major dead spots/zones/citys. There is a software update availible (OTA Download) for the boulder that fixes the voice issues and some of the PTT drop issues. If you dont need the waterproof, the moto Adventure seems to be a better overal phone for voice/battery/ and PTT. Its still ruggedized, just not waterproof. Companies are leaving in droves and getting off of Nextels shabby service and grabbing the PTT on verizon. Most companies only talk to their own emp's on PTT. And in the end, PTT may still be slightly better on nextel, but the overall quality is horrible, especially if you just want to make a call.
7. VZWGuy22 (unregistered) posted on 22 Aug 2008, 21:43 0 0
as a former sprint nee nextel employee and a current vzw one, i can tell you that companies are not leaving nextel, in droves or otherwise. they most definitely do not just talk to their own employees, ptt is like a blue collar business subculture. also, the service is terrible. i dont know why we keep putting out ptt solutions, as the review said as long as nextel is in business no one else will ever be successful with ptt
8. vzwemp (unregistered) posted on 23 Aug 2008, 11:17 0 0
i work here in FL, and companies are jumping the nextell ship as fast as they can. Heck, they were trying to do it long before the new VZPTT, but couldnt get rid of the service. its sad that in a major city like jacksonville, that they cant even keep service in large parts of the city. No, its not as solid as nextell's ptt, as its their only service of value. The software update on the boulder fixes some of the sound/ptt issues. Its not the service, its the phone. Again, the moto750 has much better call quality and less issues, but lacks the waterproofing.
12. VZWGuy22 (unregistered) posted on 23 Aug 2008, 23:01 0 0
im glad youre drinking the kool aid, but the service is terrible. i was there when ptt launched, i was then with nextel, and now im back when its relaunched on vzw and its just as awful as ever. ive used the adventure much more than the boulder, and its still unacceptable. that fact that were charging people an extra five bucks for this is laughable. we should be paying them to use it.
16. sprintbeast (unregistered) posted on 26 Aug 2008, 09:01 0 0
You don't gave a full grasp of what you are attempting to comment on. I am feeling your loyal to vz but you need an unbiased opinion. Check out the bottom of this article from this websitehttp://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Casio-GzOne-Boulder-Review-review-r_1999-p_3.html
17. C-Chicki posted on 07 Sep 2008, 16:36 0 0
Actually my father still maintains his contract with Nextel and I still retain one of their phones along with my Alltel and AT&T. I live in Jacksonville and I used to live in St.Augustine. Jacksonville was never much of an issue with me. St.Augustine though had NO service in so many parts. I couldnt even use my phone within 5 miles of my house. It was horid. Westside I never had a problem, neither did I in the South and Northside. Where are these major gasps in Jacksonville you are talking about?
3. (unregistered) posted on 22 Aug 2008, 16:21 0 0
is it really that bad? this phone looked very attractive to me.
11. (unregistered) posted on 23 Aug 2008, 18:35 0 0
I feel like the reviewer has a vzw chip in his shoulder to be honest...
4. M (unregistered) posted on 22 Aug 2008, 16:47 0 0
I wish they'd release a GSM version of this handset, the only couple of rugged handsets available don't look as nice as this one!
5. (unregistered) posted on 22 Aug 2008, 17:17 0 0
It sounds much worse than they're admitting here. It is the worst-sounding phone I've ever used -- and I've had cellphone with Verizon for nine years.
21. SportBarbie (unregistered) posted on 21 Oct 2008, 02:05 0 0
Agreed. I have always had Motorolas and been very happy. Even washed my startac and it kept working. Left it in the rain and it kept working. The Casio sound (receiving only) is so bad I couldn't understand any of my voice mail or home messages and half the words from friends. I tried it in two very different states and in extremely varying conditions (mountain, ocean, city, etc) and it was consistently bad. The update (OTA) was not available but I am curious whether it worked or not. I would recommend this phone 100% if only the receiving sound was understandable. For active people, it is PERFECT ~ except they don't take into account the large growing number of females who would like a phone like this that doesn't look like they borrowed it from their boyfriend. Waiting patiently for the 4th generation.
6. (unregistered) posted on 22 Aug 2008, 20:08 0 0
How many ptt subs does v have, reading this review doesn't put thier service in a good light seems rather dim if you ask me
9. (unregistered) posted on 23 Aug 2008, 12:52 0 0
To post 8, do you really think companies that leave will stay if the ptt works like the review says with only 2 1/2 phones, only vzw to communicate with and sub par service. When Sprint finalizes group and international there will be nothing else to be said
10. WHaaa? (unregistered) posted on 23 Aug 2008, 16:13 0 0
All that is meaningless when the company is on its deathbead. They will leave because they do not want to sign another 2 years with a bloated corpse.
15. sprintbeast (unregistered) posted on 26 Aug 2008, 08:55 0 0
"company on its deathbed"??? Sprint generates billions in revenue! You vz buttboys are incredible. Sprint will be around for a long time, probably longer than vz's push-to-wait service.
13. (unregistered) posted on 24 Aug 2008, 01:33 0 0
VZWGuy22, I never thought I would see a post that wasn't opinionated or biased towards the red in some way, very refreshing I must say
14. (unregistered) posted on 24 Aug 2008, 01:35 0 0
Clarifying the last statement, post by red subs or employees
18. g'zone boulder (unregistered) posted on 12 Sep 2008, 11:56 0 0
don't buy this phone if you enjoying hearing the people youre talking to. call quality is horrible
